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The points season
After waiting most of the summer for the league imposed transfer embargo to be lifted, Leeds were eventually allowed to sign players on 7 August 2007. They immediately set about re-signing players whose loan or permanent contracts had expired during the summer including the experienced Alan Thompson, Tore André Flo27 and Casper Ankergren28. Some new faces were also brought in such as the previous England under-21 star David Prutton29. Thompson was awarded the captain's arm-band due to his previous high-level experience27. Leeds won their first match in the third tier 2-1 away at Tranmere Rovers with a goal from Tresor Kandol sealing the victory in the 89th minute30, and won their next six league games to equal the club's best ever start to a season, last achieved 34 years ago in the 1973-74 season)31. In recognition of the outstanding start to the season, Wise was named as League One's Manager of the Month for August32 and September 200733. However, after guiding Leeds to the play-off places despite the 15-point deduction, Wise controversially quit the club to take up a position in Kevin Keegan's new set-up at Newcastle United34. The following day former club captain Gary McAllister, who had been captain the last time Leeds won the League Championship, was appointed as the club's new manager35 with Steve Staunton his assistant. Under his management, Leeds reached the playoffs for the year 2007-08, with one game to spare, despite the well-publicised 15-point deduction. The deduction was heavily appealed, but this ultimately failed on 1 May 2008 when an independent arbitration panel ruled that the Football League were right to give Leeds this deduction. Victory over Gillingham on the final day of the season saw Leeds finish fifth in the final table and book themselves a play-off semi-final tie with Carlisle United36. After losing 2-1 with a poor performance in the first leg at Elland Road37, Leeds beat Carlisle 2-0 at Brunton Park38 to book their first appearance at Wembley in 12 years, and their first ever appearance at the new Wembley Stadium. Leeds lost the Play-off Final to Doncaster Rovers39. at 11 15:00 Tranmere Rovers A FL1 W 1-2 11,008 Tue 14 19:45 Macclesfield Town A LGCP W 0-1 3,422 Sat 18 15:00 Southend United H FL1 W 4-1 24,036 Sat 25 13:00 Nottingham Forest A FL1 W 1-2 25,237 Tue 28 19:45 Portsmouth A LGCP L 3-0 8,502 Date KO Opponent Venue Comp Result Att TB MR September 2007 Sat 1 15:00 Luton Town H FL1 W 1-0 26,856 Sat 8 15:00 Hartlepool United H FL1 W 2-0 26,877 Fri 14 19:45 Bristol Rovers A FL1 W 0-3 11,883 Sat 22 15:00 Swansea City H FL1 W 2-0 29,467 Sat 29 15:00 Gillingham A FL1 D 1-1 8,719 Date KO Opponent Venue Comp Result Att TB MR October 2007 Tue 2 19:45 Oldham Athletic A FL1 W 0-1 10,054 Sat 6 15:00 Yeovil Town H FL1 W 1-0 27,808 Tue 9 19:30 Darlington A LGCP W 0-1 7,891 Sat 13 15:00 Leyton Orient H FL1 D 1-1 29,177 Sat 20 15:00 Brighton and Hove Albion A FL1 W 0-1 8,691 Sat 27 15:00 Millwall H FL1 W 4-2 30,319 Date KO Opponent Venue Comp Result Att TB MR November 2007 Sat 3 15:00 Carlisle United A FL1 L 3-1 16,668 Tue 6 19:45 AFC Bournemouth A FL1 W 1-3 9,632 Fri 9 19:45 Hereford A FACP D 0-0 5,924 Tue 13 19:45 Bury H JPT (N) QF L 1-2 18,809 Sat 17 15:00 Swindon Town H FL1 W 2-1 27,990 Tue 20 19:45 Hereford H FACP L 0-1 11,315 Sun 25 14:00 Cheltenham Town A FL1 L 1-0 7,043 Date KO Opponent Venue Comp Result Att TB MR December 2007 Tue 4 19:45 Port Vale H FL1 W 3-0 20,301 Sat 8 12:15 Huddersfield Town H FL1 W 4-0 32,501 Sat 15 15:00 Walsall A FL1 D 1-1 10,102 Sat 22 15:00 Bristol Rovers H FL1 W 1-0 27,863 Wed 26 12:00 Hartlepool United A FL1 D 1-1 7,784 Sat 29 15:00 Swansea City A FL1 L 3-2 19,010 Date KO Opponent Venue Comp Result Att TB MR January 2008 Tue 1 15:00 Oldham Athletic H FL1 L 1-3 25,906 Sat 5 15:00 Northampton Town H FL1 W 3-0 24,472 Mon 14 19:45 Crewe Alexandra A FL1 W 0-1 6,771 Sat 19 15:00 Doncaster Rovers H FL1 L 0-1 31,402 Sat 26 15:00 Luton Town A FL1 D 1-1 9,297 Tue 29 19:45 Southend United A FL1 L 1-0 9,819 Date KO Opponent Venue Comp Result Att TB MR February 2008 Sat 2 15:00 Tranmere Rovers H FL1 L 0-2 24,907 Sat 9 15:00 Northampton Town A FL1 D 1-1 7,260 Tue 12 19:45 Nottingham Forest H FL1 D 1-1 29,552 Sat 23 15:00 Crewe Alexandra H FL1 D 1-1 21,223 Date KO Opponent Venue Comp Result Att TB MR March 2008 Sat 1 14:00 Swindon Town A FL1 W 0-1 13,270 Sat 8 15:00 AFC Bournemouth H FL1 W 2-0 21,199 Tue 11 19:45 Cheltenham Town H FL1 L 1-2 20,257 Sat 15 15:00 Port Vale A FL1 D 3-3 7,908 Sat 22 17:20 Walsall H FL1 W 2-0 19,095 Sat 29 15:00 Brighton and Hove Albion H FL1 D 0-0 22,575 Date KO Opponent Venue Comp Result Att TB MR April 2008 Tue 1 19:45 Doncaster Rovers A FL1 W 0-1 15,001 Sat 5 15:00 Leyton Orient A FL1 W 0-2 7,602 Sat 12 12:15 Carlisle United H FL1 W 3-2 28,530 Tue 15 19:45 Huddersfield Town A FL1 L 1-0 16,413 Sat 19 15:00 Millwall A FL1 W 0-2 13,395 Fri 25 19:45 Yeovil Town A FL1 W 0-1 9,527 Date KO Opponent Venue Comp Result Att TB MR May 2008 Sat 3 15:00 Gillingham H FL1 W 2-1 38,256 Mon 12 19:45 Carlisle United H FL1 P/O L 1-2 36,297 Thu 15 19:45 Carlisle United A FL1 P/O W 0-2 12,873 Sun 25 15:00 Doncaster Rovers Wembley FL1 P/O L 1-0 75,132